Hi ... hey ... hello ... Dear reader, how do you start an email? | Media “Hi.” No, forget that – too boring. “Hey!” Hmmm – too giddy. “Wasssup!” Yikes – too Budweiser. It’s one of life’s little conundrums many of us are forced to confront every day: what salutation should we use to start an email? When electronic mail first pinged on the scene – around the mid-90s – it felt rather contrived to use the informal US salutation “Hi”. “Dear” felt more reassuring. That didn’t last. As email became sufficiently ingrained in our lives to shed its cumbersome hyphen, we began to realise it was a much more fluid means of communication than its printed predecessor. At this stage I should probably divulge my bias: “Hi” remains my go-to salutation for almost all professional emails. “Hey” is the hip new kid on the block. Others disagree. For those who can’t stomach “Hey”, I present an alternative: “Hello”. Sifting through my inbox, it’s very rare to find someone eschewing the “Hi-Hey-Hello” triumvirate. I don’t mind this direct approach. So, what other alternatives are there?
5 Unconventional Ways to Become a Better Writer Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. – Stephen King Even if you’re not a ‘writer’ per se, writing can be highly beneficial. It can be helpful for a number of things: Generally, there are two things that writers recommend to others who want to improve: more writing, and reading. Reading—the good and the bad—inspires you. Since reading is something we learn to do when we first start school, it’s easy to think we’ve got it sorted out and we don’t need to work on this skill anymore. Knowing how to read and not reading books is like owning skis and not skiing, owning a board and never riding a wave, or, well, having your favorite sandwich in your hand and not eating it. So let’s take a look at five unconventional ways to become better writers by changing the way we read. 1. I’m one of those people who feels bad if I miss anything (sometimes known as ‘fear of missing out‘). 2. 3. 4. 5. As H.P.
I’m Latino. I’m Hispanic. And they’re different, so I drew a comic to explain. by Terry Blas on August 12, 2016 Take This Quiz to See if You Should Be a Writer 10. What is the lowest salary you would be willing to earn? Quiz: Should You Be a Writer? You got: Don't Become a Writer You don't have most of the qualities writers need, based on your answers to the questions on this quiz. You must enjoy and be able to express yourself well in writing. To become a professional writer, you will most likely need a bachelor's degree, preferably in English, writing or journalism, although some employers may hire you without one. Take time to find a career that plays to your strengths. Share Your Results You got: Writer Probably Isn't a Good Career Choice You have some, but not nearly enough, of the qualities writers need. You should be good at and enjoy expressing yourself through the written word. A Bachelor's Degree in English, writing or journalism will help you land a job as a writer. Keep looking for a career that is a better fit for someone with your strengths. You got: You Might Make a Good Writer You got: You Were Meant to Be a Writer Congratulations!
10 Simple Tips to Help You Be a Better Writer Do you enjoy writing? Does it come naturally to you? Do colleagues praise you for your crisp, articulate, Nobel Laureate-worthy email updates? Congratulations! Because if you work in an office or run your own business, you’re likely to spend about a quarter of your workday doing one thing: Writing. Oh, and that’s just the portion of your day that you’ll spend writing emails. That figure doesn’t account for reports, proposals, best practice guidelines, blog posts, Facebook updates, tweets, texts, chapters of your forthcoming memoirs, that TED Talk script you’ve been tinkering with for the last 18 months, and the occasional hand-written “thank you” note. We live in an era where the written word is King. And if you’re going to write 40,000+ words this year—at minimum! Here are 10 ways you can be a better writer, right away. (The kind of writer whose words get results.) 1. Before you sit down to write (anything), ask yourself: Why am I writing? Are you writing to brighten someone’s morning? 2. 3.
Ten characteristics you need to become a writer | Michael Scott Are writers born or made? I firmly believe that anyone can write (whether they should is an entirely different matter of course). I have been writing now for over twenty-five years and in that time have met countless writers. Many of those writers displayed remarkably similar characteristics and attitudes towards their work and, out of that, I have drawn up the ten characteristics I think you’ll need if you want to become a writer. You must be well read You must read and not just in the fields that interest you – writers pull from an astonishing variety of sources for their work. Imaginative It sort of goes without saying, but an imagination is critical. Critical Be critical of your own work. Take a typing class Some writers still work with a pencil and paper; however, the vast majority type on a keyboard. Disciplined This is a job. Passionate Be under no illusions: this is a tough job. Patient Writers ultimately must become the most patient people in the world. Ambitious Thick Skin
What Does It Take To Be A Writer? | Better Storytelling "What Does It Take To Be A Writer?" by Mark O'Bannon What Does It Take To Be A Writer? There are two rules to writing: The first rule is that there are no rules. The second rule is that just because of rule number one, that doesn’t mean you can do anything you want. Like art or music, there are no rules as to how you approach your work, but an understanding of the subject is still important, and usually necessary to produce the greatest works. 8 Signs You Were Meant to Be a Writer | WTD Do you ever wonder if you were truly meant to be a writer? Deep down you sense that it might just be so. But then doubt creeps in, and you just aren’t sure. You look at your writing. A great writer would be further along by now, right? Wrong. If you’re reading this, chances are you were meant to be a writer. Here are 8 signs that you were meant to be a word wizard. 1. You secretly dream about writing. And if you already write, you dream about doing something bigger, like writing a novel, or scoring that big freelancing client. You dream about more, bigger, better. Deep inside you know you can do it, but that pesky little voice stops you. 2. Yes, doubt is a sign that you were meant to be a writer. If you didn’t have anything to say, you wouldn’t even think about writing, but you do have something to say, and you know it. But doubt stops you. However, doubt is just a thought popping up. Why keep moving forward? Because you were meant to be a writer. 3. Embrace this. Don’t give into peer pressure. 4. 5.
A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips If you’ve always dreamed of being the next Hemingway or Vonnegut (or even Grisham), or perhaps if you just want to write better essays for school or posts for your blog … you need to sharpen those writing skills. Becoming the best writer you can be isn’t easy, I won’t lie to you. It takes hard work. Personally, I’ve been a fiction, newspaper, magazine and blog writer for 17 years now, writing for a variety of publications … and I’m still trying to improve. No matter what level of writer you are, there should be a suggestion or twelve here that will help. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Got some tips of your own?